US Patriot Act wins six-month extension

THE terror-fighting USA Patriot Act may have a new lease on life.

The Republican-controlled US Senate approved a six-month extension of the act to keep the anti-terror law from expiring on December 31. President George W Bush gave it his grudging blessing.

The Republican-controlled house is now expected to come back and consider the legislation keeping the 16 provisions of the law, passed after the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, from expiring.

Republican leaders and Mr Bush wanted to make most of the law permanent, but were stymied by a filibuster in the senate and had to resort to a six-month extension.

"This will allow more time to finally agree on a bill that protects our rights and freedoms while preserving important tools for fighting terrorism," said Democrat Diane Feingold, who was the only senator to vote against the original Patriot Act in 2001.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan accused Democrats of trying to score political points and appease special interests, including the American Civil Liberties Union, by blocking extension of the law. He said the temporary extension is a victory for the administration, even though it long said it would not approve anything but its permanent renewal.

"We're pleased that the existing Patriot Act is still in place," he said.

"These vital tools will remain in place." He added that the administration would continue to work to get the act reauthorised.

Most of the Patriot Act which expanded the government's surveillance and prosecutorial powers against suspected terrorists, their associates and financiers was made permanent when congress overwhelmingly passed it after the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington.

Making permanent the rest of the Patriot Act powers, like the roving wiretaps which allow investigators to listen in on any telephone and tap any computer they think a target might use, has been a priority of the Bush administration and Republican lawmakers.

Congress and senate negotiators had agreed to compromise legislation that would have made most of the anti-terrorism law permanent and added additional safeguards to the law.

But Democrats and a small group of Republican senators blocked the legislation, arguing that the compromise needed more safeguards in it to protect Americans' civil liberties.